What do you believe in?
by amdragfan
Summary: Continuation from 'Hong Kong Longs' after the fight with the Dark Dragon on Victoria Peak.
1. Victoria Peak

_Well, shoutout to ada69 for inspiring/encouraging me to write this fanfic! Hope you like it. And of course, one of the nicest people I've met, Noble6, holla at ya! Both incredible writers in their own right by the way, check out their work! This is my first Jake/Rose fanfic, takes place after Hong Kong Longs. My personal alternate ending, if you will. Well, it probably won't be a very long story, just wrapping up the story after the fight at Victoria Peak in my own style. Probably four chapters, I'll update soon. Anyway, that's enough from me. Without further delay, I present to you, 'What do you believe in?', a Jake/Rose fanfiction, property of amdragfan. Please, I hope you do enjoy._

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Dragon:Jake Long or any of its characters. They are the property of Disney.**

**Chapter 1 - Victoria Peak**

'_Arrrggggh!'_

_The deafening scream of the dark dragon echoed throughout the temple as the he was consumed by the millennium portal, never to be seen or heard again._

After they escaped the portal to Victoria peak, Jake and Rose fell to the floor with a painful thud. Upon standing, Jake was instantly captured by a pair of familiar, ocean blue eyes. He absolutely _loved_ those eyes. They would entrance him, ever so serenely, simply melting his heart like butter in an oven.

Greeting him with a smile, Rose wasted no time in bringing her partner into a short but nevertheless, loving kiss.

For Jake, it was an adrenaline rush tantamount to bungee jumping off a cliff, as memories of past began to flood his mind. Pausing for a moment, he shook it off as he became aware of his surroundings.

Still struggling to regain his composure, he managed to blurt out 'Rose! You remembered…but how?'

'You left this at my house. Let's just say it brought back some memories.' Rose smirked slyly, bringing out a creased picture of the them at the fall dance.

Holding hands, the couple gazed at each other for several more moments, with the rest of the gang still engaged in their celebrations. Sometimes, words aren't required to send a message. And they were certainly redundant now.

Unbelievable was hardly a word to describe Jake's emotions at that moment. All those seemingly endless nights praying, wishing for time to rewind and for the things between him and Rose to return to normalcy had paid off.

'_Well what do you know? Looks like miracles do exist...'_ He muttered to himself silently.

'Hm? Did you say something?' Rose asked, his words bringing her out of her daze.

A slight blush crept onto his face. Looks like nothing had changed since Rose moved to Hong Kong, Jake was still as nervous around her as ever. Awkward..

'Ugh, I really should stop talking to myself…'

'Come again?' Rose asked, giggling slightly.

_Oh I'm such a dork…_

'Hah its nothing. Wanna go for a stroll?'He quickly shot back, trying to avoid any further embarrassment.

Rose nodded enthusiastically, grabbing Jake's inviting hand with both arms. Just as he was about to open his mouth to tell his family to make a move, he was cut off by his father's raised hand. Giving him a knowing smile and a wink, Jonathan signaled for the family to move on without Jake, directing them back to the hotel. What in the world? His usually uptight father being so cool about things? Must have been a newly found perspective after learning of Susan's true family heritage. Jake had other ideas, however.

'_Wow Dad's actually really cool…must sense that I'm about to work my player mazzagic…' Jake thought to himself._

Slowly strolling around the clearing at Victoria peak, they absorbed in the sights and sounds of the wonderful Hong Kong nightlife before settling down at the edge of the cliff, allowing their feet dangle down dangerously.

Letting out an audible sigh, Rose leaned her head gently on Jake's shoulder. They sat below a tall pine tree, allowing leaves to fall and flutter on them like snowflakes. Staring into the endless expanse of stars, she let a smile grace her features. It was good to finally be with Jake.

'Rose….I really missed you while you were gone…' Jake began, finally breaking the silence.

'Well, we're together now, aren't we?' she chuckled, staring deeply into his eyes.

_Guess I'll have to tell her sometime….._

She could see, tears visibly forming in his eyes. She was about to be hit with a cold dose of reality.

'That's the thing…I'm leaving for New York first thing tomorrow morning…' Jake whimpered, biting his lip to hold back his tears. 'I'm sorry….I really am…'

Shocked by the directness of his reply, Rose could feel a single tear run down her cheek. So soon? She could _hardly_ believe her ears.

_Dear god, Mom was right. All good things do have to come to an end…_

They sat there in the comfort of the other's embrace for several minutes, their tears shimmering in the delicate moonlight. No words were spoken, not that they had any complaints. It was a horrible piece of news, but just being with the other made that moment special. They were absolutely _miserable_without the other. This accounted for about half a year of absolute _misery._Just being together again, it gave them the best feeling they've felt in a ever so long time. Rose, despite not remembering Jake until two hours ago, finally felt that the void was filled. She just felt so..._empty_before.

_I have to be strong, for Jake…_

'Well, we don't have much time to waste then, do we?' Rose finally managed, still whimpering.

Jake's face cracked into a comforting grin.

'Your right, the night's still young and alive.' He said as he slung his arm around Rose reassuringly, gently wiping her tears away with his other arm. They were finally together, and Jake knew that it was no time for sobbing.

And right he was, there was no time to waste. Given the circumstances, both of them knew that that they had to treasure what time was left for them to be together. Pulling closer to Jake, she pecked him on the cheek and held him in a warm embrace. Jake then rested his chin on her head, the warmth of his body wrapping around her like a nice, warm scarf.

'What are we going to do?' Rose asked, still snuggling comfortably in his arms.

'I'm….not sure actually….let me see….'

Not too soon after, a sudden shiver of excitement shot through Jake's body as an idea struck him.

'Hmm, I've an idea….' He said with a smirk.

Rose lifted her head and peered up at him.

'And what might that be?'

With a wide grin, he released his tight grip on Rose. Rising slowly to his feet, he held out his hand, his eyes glistening in the moonlight.

'Care to dance?' He asked shyly.

A rush of embarrassment swept across Rose. Dancing in the wilderness in full view of the few nearby high-rise apartments was totally NOT what she had in mind. His brown, pleading puppy dog eyes, however, made it_ever so hard_to turn him down.

He could sense her reluctance, but he was convinced that she would relent. 'Come on, it'll be fun! I'm a pretty good dancer anyway, let me show you some of my mad skills.' Jake reassured, making Rose giggle to herself.

'Hah Jake, I may have forgotten certain things, but I certainly remember that you had two left feet!' Rose chuckled as she finally mustered the courage and took his hand.

As he pulled her to her feet, Rose rested her arms around Jake's neck, while he gently placed his around her waist. Starting awkwardly, they slowly began to break into a small waltz.

'Well look at you go, _Mr. Smooth_!' She teased playfully.

Jake, however, was distracted. Looking at the surrounding buildings, he noticed several Chinese residents emerging from their homes, peeking at the couple through their windows.

'Aww man, maybe this wasn't such a good idea..' Jake complained, his face flushing ruby red.

A smirk lit up Rose's face.

'The almighty American Dragon is afraid of a couple of people watching? How are you to carry out your duties?' she mocked.

'Well, I saved the damsel in distress back at the temple, Id think I'm doing_just_ fine.' Jake shot back playfully.

'Well you're the one who came to me for help! _Please you have to believe me! Rose, my grandfather's in danger!_'

They laughed in unison as Rose leaned in closer to Jake and rested her head on his shoulder.

'This is great, isn't it Jake?' she said, smiling.

Nodding in agreement, he began to hum a familiar tune. Rose raised her eyebrows in amusement.

_It was too familiar…_

'Where have I heard that tune before?'

'It was the song playing at homecoming, we were supposed to dance to it after being crowned king and queen. ' He paused for second, collecting his thoughts.

'Only..we didn't…'

Rose dipped her head, recalling the unhappy events of that fateful evening..

'_Goodbye Jake, I'll never forget you...'_

'_Jake, let me go. I'll be okay, I promise.'_

As Jake spotted Rose's eyes swelling up, he began to regret even bringing the subject up.

'Well, that certainly backfired,' Jack muttered to himself.

Reading her emotions, he lifted her chin and allowed their eyes to meet.

'_Oh how I love those eyes…'_

'Hey, no time for tears, Rosebud. It's _our_ own homecoming ball tonight, just you and me, _Jake and Rose._ Finally, I actually finally feel….at h-home, with …... ' He said, stuttering slightly.

'….You, right here in your arms.."

Never too good with words, although he liked to think he was, he certainly killed it tonight. He flashed her a comforting smile.

Jake slowly his hand to untie her hair, allowing it to flow elegantly down to her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled ever so brightly.

'Well, it certainly doesn't get any better than this!' Rose replied with a giggle, lighting up with a wide smile, visibly cheered up. They continued to waltz slowly, whilst at the same time, gracefully, right across the hilltop.

The moon sailed across the sky like a ghostly gallion, watching over them as their laughter and chattering voices resonated through the night.

'Jake...I never... _ever_ want to let you go' she whispered.

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><p><em>Well, that concludes the first chapter. Liked it? RateHate? Please review, I'm new to this trade! Haha, I'll update soon. Until then, seeya, RxJloveforever._

_~amdragfan_


	2. I'm Leaving

_Hey guys, amdragfan here with chapter two of 'What do you believe in?'. Thanks for the reviews so far! Hope you enjoy.  
><em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 – I'm Leaving<strong>

'Hurry it up Jakers! We don't want to miss our flight!' Jonathan yelled, the whole family already waiting for Jake in the hotel's lift lobby.

Still sitting in his bed, Jake simply could not take his eyes off the picture of Rose and him at the fall dance, which he brought with him everywhere he went. He gently ran his fingers over the picture, reminiscent. He couldn't believe that it was already time for him to leave, just as things were working out so well.

_Sigh...why must we leave now?_

'I'll be right out dad!' he replied, lethargically dragging his luggage out of the hotel room. To him, last night almost seemed like a dream, the perfect one at that. Going back to New York was, however, his painful reality check. How was he going to handle life without Rose in New York? He had absolutely no clue...but life had to go on.

Stepping out of the hotel, they began to stand in queue at the hotel's taxi stand just outside the main entrance. Just as it was approaching their turn, they were greeted by a large, vintage Mercedes which by-passed the cabs and stopped right in front of them, stunning them momentarily.

'Fancy a ride? Rose suggested that we give you guys a lift to the airport, lord knows where these cab drivers will take you if you don't speak Cantonese!' Rose's father, Richard joked as he wound down the window.

'Oh my, how awfully nice of you! Certainly sounds like a plan to me. Hop in familia!'

Jonathan signaled for the gang to load their luggage into the trunk.

_'...Rose?'_ Jake thought to himself while the rest were busy loading up their baggage. He was hesitant as he stood on the curb with his hand rested on the door handle.

Slowly opening the door, he was greeted by a familiar sight.

'Hey.' Jake uttered as he moved in to take the seat next to Rose.

_Sweet heavens,_ _She looks...beautiful!_

She wore an elegant purple blouse, complete with light blue jeans, her golden tresses glistening in the sunlight. Just the sight of her made Jake swoon, weak in his knees!

'Hey yourself.' She replied, greeting him with a warm peck to the cheek.

That was, however, essentially the last thing said between the two in the car. During the ride, they weren't exactly the liveliest couple around, especially for one who just had the perfect date the night before. They were both visibly depressed, knowing that they would have to part ways in a couple of moments. The whole ride, they were silent, holding hands tightly but staring in opposite directions.

Trying to instigate some conversation, Jake squeezed her hand gently, looking for any signs of eye contact. Rose, however, ignored him and hung her head low. She was afraid she would just break down right there in the car if she did otherwise. Looking at him would remind her of all she wanted, but couldn't have.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pain was brought to an end as the silence was finally broken.

'Alright, here we are, let's unload your baggage!' Richard announced as he skillfully maneuvered the car into the tight parallel parking space.

Guiding them into the airport, Jonathan and Susan shook hands with Rose's parents as they bade them farewell.

'Thanks a lot for the ride, Richard. We'll keep in touch!' Jonathan said.

'It was our pleasure! Do send us a postcard sometime!' Richard replied gleefully.

'You got it. Come on Haleyhoo, let's get to the plane!'

Jonathan began to walk away with Haley prancing not too far behind, ushering his family toward the boarding gate. As they began to make their way there, Jake and Rose remained. They were motionless, still holding hands.

Placing his hand on Rose's shoulder, Richard whispered, 'Elizabeth and I will see you back at the car darling.'

Jake and Richard shared a nod of acknowledgement as he and his wife proceeded back to the Mercedes, before Jake turned his attention back to Rose.

'Well….I guess this is goodbye….' She began, her voice shaking, eyes swelling up.

Jake gulped hard. It had been a long time since he felt so..._helpless. _There was absolutely nothing he could do. Or...was there?

_I never want to leave…no…_

Still, just like in his duties as the American Dragon, he had to be strong. For both their sakes. For the sake of their families.

'Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other again sometime soon…' he lied feebly, knowing it was near impossible.

Their families had their respective commitments, and it would be too selfish of them to demand that they leave it all behind just for them two.

'But when...?' Rose said desperately, after a long pause. She inhaled deeply as she held his hands in a tight grasp, looking down to her toes whilst letting out an exasperated sigh.

'When will I ever see you again?'

'Just…..check your mail regularly alright? I'll write to you when I'm free! Don't worry, we'll keep in touch, and...I'm sure we'll meet again. I don't know when, but I can promise you that much...' Jake trailed off. He stared deeply into her glimmering, sapphire blue eyes, which seemed like an endless expanse of blue sky. In which, he would be content being lost in, forever.

'How can you be sure? We'll be miles apart...' Rose said, her tears now falling freely down her smooth, unblemished cheeks.

It sliced his heart in two like a hot blade through butter. He simply could not bear to see her cry!

_Keep it together Jake..._

Gently caressing her cheeks, he wiped away her tears with his thumb, giving her a light pinch on the cheek.

'Well….just trust me, okay? We'll find a way back together.' Jake replied reassuringly, slowly letting go of her hands.

'You promise?' Rose whispered.

'...Promise.'

Somehow, Rose could always find comfort in Jake's words, regardless of how hard they were to believe.

Cracking a slight, comforting smile, Jake gave her a quick peck on the cheek before turning his heels. She could only stare from a distance as he walked toward the boarding gate, never to turn back. She couldn't believe it. So sudden he came, and so soon he left.

_But I still have so much to tell you, Jake..._

_Why did you have to leave so soon?_

Savoring her last few glimpses of him, Rose dropped to her knees as the gates closed. It was official, he was gone, out of her life. And quite possibly, for good. Burying her face in her hands, she began to bawl endlessly, drawing the attention of the different groups of people passing by. Not that it mattered to her, though. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

Meanwhile, settling down into his airplane seat, Jake plugged in his headphones and began to blast heartseeker songs as he slowly let out a painful sigh. He once again pulled out his treasured picture of himself and Rose at the fall dance, hugging it close to his chest and closing his eyes tightly.

_What I would give for last night to have lasted forever..._

The plane ride was dominated by sounds of Haley rattling off about a piece of music she had composed during the trip and how glad she was to finally head back home. Jake however, was not as optimistic, and didn't care in the slightest. He had no intention of speaking to anyone along the ride, or perhaps, for quite awhile _after_ it as well. The ride back to New York was certainly going to be a long one, as Jake slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.

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><p><em>Well, that concludes chapter two! I hope you enjoyed reading it! Next update will come...soon. As always, reviews are much appreciated! What did you like? Or what did you not like? Well, until the next update…RxJloveforever.<em>


	3. Belief

_Hey guys, its your boy amdragfan here with chapter 3! Its been forever since I updated haha I apologise. I don't know if anyone is really interested or following, but I've been into other things for the past few months and I totally forgot about this hobby of mine. Decided to give my story an update, hope my writing is still alright. Not really easy for me to continue since I've been out of it for a couple months. Do remember to review or message me any feedback and of course as always, hope you enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – Belief <strong>

'Jake Long! This shall be your final warning, another time it will be the principal's office for you!' Professor Rotwood screamed as he caught Jake daydreaming in his class.

Nodding uncaringly, Jake slid further down his seat as he began to doodle in his Mythology book, waiting for the painfully mythology class to end.

After class, Jake grabbed his bag and walked briskly out of the classroom. He couldn't wait to get home and rest on his bed.

'Yo Jakey! Wait up dawg!' Trixie yelled after him, Spud following not too far behind.

'What's up with you drifting off in class nowadays?'

'Yeah, and Rotwood's got it in for you!' Spud followed up.

Slightly annoyed by their persistence, he simply replied, 'I'm tired, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow iight?'

Trudging lazily back home, it was as if Jake was a whole another person.

His once 'macdaddy' style was gone and he looked anything but happy when paired with the deadbeat face he constantly wore. Already several weeks in, he had barely cracked a smile ever since touching down in home sweet home, New York City.

_Nowhere feels like home without Rose…_

Tossing his bag onto the floor, he slumped lazily into his bed, absolutely _exhausted_ from his tiring day of school. He had it bad with Rotwood, constantly drifting off in his class. However, he was unfazed, no matter how much scolding he received, much to the concern of Trixie and Spud. Jake however, did not bother explaining his current predicament to his two dearest friends.

'_They would never understand….no one will….' _

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he peeked at his bedside, pulling over the picture frame that sat just next to his bed. It was, undoubtedly, the picture of him and Rose on their very first date, building a snowman together.

'_He has your smile!' Rose said lovingly. _

'_But he has your eyes.' Jake replied, peering at Rose cheekily through his peripherals. _

_Good times…._

This had taken over as his daily routine ever since he and Rose parted ways. With the exams over and the dark dragon gone, life was slow. For heaven's sake, he should have been _happy _graduation was approaching!

However, it was hardly 'peaceful' in Jake's world.

Just as he was about to turn on his stereo to play heartbreak classic _'My woman she left me',_ he heard the door being pushed open. Staring up from his picture, he was surprised to be greeted by both Jonathan and Lao Shi. How odd it was to see them together, since Lao Shi had never really liked Jonathan ever since he started dating Susan.

'Leave me alone, I want to be by myself right now.' Jake grumbled, shooing them away like a fart.

'That's how you've felt for a month now, Jakers.' Jonathan shot back, taking a seat on the bed next to Jake.

'He's right, young one. We thought it would be most appropriate to have a chat with you.' Lao Shi added on, grabbing a chair.

Groaning, Jake sat up to face them, the picture frame still in his hands. He was in NO mood for a lecture, especially not by TWO adults.

'What did I do this time?' He said, staring at the ground.

'We're not here to scold you, son. We were just a little worried about you.'

'You haven't been yourself ever since leaving Hong Kong.' Jonathan's concerned tone got Jake's attention.

'Yeah well…things have been tough for me. You guys wouldn't understand…' Jake replied softly, barely loud enough for them to hear.

Looking at the picture his son was holding, Jonathan said, 'Oh the contrary, Jakers. Me and gramps_ completely_ understand.'

Jake raised an eyebrow in surprise.

'You do?'

Nodding slowly and gracefully, Lao Shi began, ' Yes young dragon. You may not realise this, but daughter's husband..um, Jonathan and I were young once as well. Blinded by beauty and _passion_….'

'Okay, that's besides the point.' Jonathan said, cutting Lao Shi off when he realised where he was going.

'The main thing is, son…' Jonathan paused, trying to recollect his thoughts. His eyes lit up with enthusiasm as he suddenly began to speak animatedly.

'Let me tell you this, in a story. A story of my life. You may not know this…but I was a serious player back in high school.' Jonathan began.

'I had those nice, pink highlights in my long stylish hair, coupled with tubular dance moves and beatboxing skills all the girls loved. Much like yourself I would say, you're a chip off the old block aren't ya? Especially my signature breakdance move, the_ shovel_.' Jake coughed slightly upon hearing this.

Ignoring his son's chuckle, he continued, 'But surprisingly, my relationship with your mother met with some problems halfway through. Gramps here didn't really like me too much…'

Jonathan peeked at Lao Shi, who was trying to hide his grin.

_I still do not like you, foolish daughter's husband._

'In fact, he once paired me up with some competition! He tried to set Susan up with some goofball this one time for a beach party. I think his name was _Beyoncé Timberlake_?' Jake fell right off the bed.

'Woah, what happened there Jakers?' Jonathan almost screamed as Jake's fall brought him out of his zone. He reached out his hand to help Jake back up to the bed.

Retracing his thoughts, he continued, 'Anyway, the point is, despite the many difficulties I faced, I managed to make our relationship a success! And believe me, it wasn't easy! My parents still aren't too fond of Susan to this day. But I haven't regretted it fighting for her, not a single day of my life.'

Lao Shi nodded in approval.

_What is Dad getting at?_

Staring questionably at his father, Jake asked, 'So what's your point?'

'My point, son, is that you should fight for what **you** want. Things are slow here for you in school, with your finals over and all.'

'And things are going very well in the magical world.' Lao Shi added.

'This way, you have a lot of free time on your hands, Jakers. Which I am not too pleased to see you waste.'

Jake sighed. His father was right.

'So, what do you suggest?' Jake responded with a reluctant tone, his grip tightening on the picture frame in his hands.

'Follow your heart, son. It seems to me you've been out of your zone for some time now. And I and Gramps suspect that it's because you've been simply existing, not living. Our current plan for you is to enlist you in Millard FIlmore High School next fall.'

Jonathan noticed that he was losing Jake, who was drifting off. Shaking his head, he patted his son lightly on the arm.

'But is that what _you _want, son?'

'Find some direction for starters. Rest assured, we'll always be here for you Jakeroo, right by your side. No matter what. We just want you to back to normalcy. Take some time to sort your thoughts out, Jakers.'

With that, Lao Shi nodded his head and they stood up. Giving Jake a pat on the back, Jonathan and Lao Shi quickly made their exit out of his room, leaving Jake sometime alone to think things over.

Staring at the picture of him and Rose, he ran his fingers across her ever blushed cheeks.

'_Follow your heart….' his father's words rang over and over in his head._

He took a deep breath before setting the picture back onto the bedside stand. Burying his face in his hands, he sat silently at his bedside for several odd minutes.

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><p><em>And that concludes an (exciting? hopefully!) chapter 3! Please reviewmessage me if it was good/bad, it keeps me going! Till then….JxRloveforever_


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